Isaiah l



(No.Model.)

I. L. ROBERTS.

DIAPHRAGM FOR GALVANIG BATTERIES.

No. 414,081; Patented Oct. 29. 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROBERTS-BREVOORT ELECTRIC COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

DIAPHRAGM FOR GALVANIC BATTERIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,081, dated October 29, 1889.

Application filed May 5, 1887. Serial No. 237,259. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Such a cup maybe of any well-known form- Be it known that I, ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, a such, for instance, as that illustrated in the resident of. the city of Brooklyn, county of accompanying drawings, in which Kings, and State of New York, and a citizen of Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cup or 55 5 the United States, have made a new and useseparating-diaphragm A, and Fig. 2 is a verful Improvement in Electric Batteries, of tical section of a two-cell battery B, containwhich the following is such a full, clear, and ing the cup or separating-diaphragrn A, but exact description as will enable others skilled without the electrodes. in the art to piactice the same. Itis known in practical chemistry that cer 6o 10 In conjunction with Henry L. Brevoort, I tain mineral substances can be turned into have filed an application for Letters Patent, what are known as gelatinous substances. May 1, 1886, Serial No. 200,847, for improve- Thus silicate of soda or of potash can by ment in electric batteries, consisting, mainly, treatment with an acid or metallic salt be of a separating partition or diaphragm, upon turned into a gelatinous mass. So, also, 65 opposite sides of which the liquids of a twothe salts of tin-such as the stannates and fluid battery can be placed, and through which chlorides-can be gelatinized, the stannates diaphragm or partitionthe liquids, as such,will by treatment with an acid, the chlorides by not to an injurious extent in practice physitreatment with an alkali, thus in both cases cally pass, although in and through the subprecipitating in gelatinous form the stannic 7o stance of the diaphragm chemical action may or salicic oxides. The salts of aluminium take place. For this purpose we made the may also be gelatinized by treatment with an diaphragm or partition partially or whollyof alkali. The various mineral substances which a gelatinous or jelly-like character, the action can be gelatinizcd are numerous, and works of which we believe to be thus explained. on chemistry will give an account of them. I 75 z 5 Such a partition forms a non-porous substanneed not therefore mention them at length.

tially-solid homogeneous wall, whose parti- As one method of carrying my inventioninto cles, while sufficiently solid and compact to effect, I takeaporous cup, preferably of baked maintain their own positions and so prevent earthenware, very porous, and I saturate this for practical purposes any transmission of by soaking it, say, for from two to ten hours -80 3o fluids between or through them, are yetthem- (the longer the better) in an aqueous solu selves able to act as electrolytes and suffer tion of silicate of soda or potash. The solusuch decompositions and recombinations as tion should be just thin enough to enable it to are essential to the electrolytic transmission penetrate the pores of the cup. Heat maybe of electric force. used to hasten the saturation of the cup. 8 5 My present invention consists in making IVhen the cup is thoroughly saturated, I dip these gelatinous or jelly-like partitions or diait-say for an hour-in muriatic acid, which I phragms with the aid of mineral substances prefer, or the salts of a metal, such as chlofrom which materials of gelatine character ride of iron. These substances cause the silican be produced. I preferably saturate or cate to deposit silica in the shape of a gelatio impregnate a suitable support or holder with nous mass in the pores of the holder. When these mineral gelatinous substances, or I use this is accomplished, the separating-partition them alone, employing as a support or holder is formed by the walls of theporous cup havpreferably a porous cup or a sheet of wool or ing its pores closed with the mineral gelatifur felt, so that the pores of the separatingnous mass. The gelatinous material may be 5 diaphragm are closed by the mineral gclatine. formed and held between supporting-sheets I prefer cnp-shaped diaphragms or partitions, of cloth or other material, which, while olferbecause they do not require to be fastened to ing but little resistance to the electric ourthe walls or bottom of the Vessel which is to rent, will serve to hold the gelatinous mass in be divided into compartments. Thus a porous position. It is evident that this can be done 10c cup of baked earthenware or a cup of felt with all of the various substances which form stretched over a frame I find convenient. whatI call mineral gelatinous masses. Now,

my invention includes all such substances, and, though I prefer to use the silicates of soda or potash and I prefer to use a porous holder in the pores of which the gelatinous material is formed, I do not limit myself to forming the gelatinous mass in the pores of the supporting or holding substance, for it may be introduced between or into such substances in various .ways which will be evident to the skilled chemist.

I do not Wish to limit myself to any particular form or construction of holder or support, or to any particular mineral substance I which can be gelatinized, or to any particular method of gelatinizing the substance. The gelatinous material may be formed between supports into acup form without having any holder or support when in the battery, and these cups can then be used. Sheets of the material may also be so made; but I prefer to use a holder or support.

I do not herein claim a separating-partition foran electric battery consisting of earthenware having its pores closed with gelatinous material, or such a partition consisting of i earthenware having its pores closed with ge- 2. A separating partition or diaphragm for an electric battery, consisting of mineral gelatinous material combined with a holder, substantially as described.

3. A separating partition or diaphragm for an electric battery, consisting of a porous substance impregnated With mineral gelatinous material. p

4., A separating partition or diaphragm for an electric battery,- consisting of ap'orous substance having its 'pores closed with gelatinized silicate of soda or potash.

ISAIAH L. noBER'rs.

\Vitn'esses; I

GEo. W. WE FnENB'AoH, HENRY L. BREVOORT. 

